Duhon Rushes for 188 Yards to Lead Loara Past Kennedy

Loara running back John Duhon, basking in the glory of a career-high 188-yard rushing game, reflected on how important it was for Loara to get off on the right foot against Kennedy.

“We win this won, it’s CIF playoffs. We lose, we have to struggle and play catch-up,” he said. “And we are not a catch-up team.”

The Saxons made sure they didn’t have to play catch-up Thursday night at Glover Stadium. They dominated play on both sides of the ball to post a 30-12 Empire League victory and put them in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot.

Loara held Kennedy to 24 net yards rushing for the game and in the first half, the Saxons ran off nine more plays than the Fighting Irish, while earning a 258-80 advantage in overall yardage.

“We stumbled a couple of times early,” Loara Coach John deFries said. “But our defense really made some big plays early. Our linebackers were funneling all their plays to the middle of the field and then we jammed up their middle.”

Loara overcame two fumbles early in the game and grabbed a 14-0 halftime lead.

Saxon quarterback Archie Lappin passed for 180 yards, four touchdowns and ran for 48 yards and tight end Nathan Robbins caught four passes for 11 yards and two scores, as the Saxons moved to 3-1 in league play, 6-3 overall.

It was another tough outing for Kennedy, which has fallen out of the county top 10 since losing defensive back/wide receiver Garrett Sabol. The Fighting Irish (6-3, 2-2), favored to win the league title, have lost two in a row. They play first-place El Dorado next week and need a victory to have any playoff hopes.

“This is tough. Really tough,” Kennedy Coach Mitch Olson said afterward. “Loara did a good job against us.”

Loara built a 17-0 second-half lead. Kennedy quarterback Tom Haas scored on a one-yard plunge at the end of the third quarter. After Loara responded with a 12-play drive for a score, Haas moved Kennedy 64 yards in five plays, hitting John Martinez with a 52-yard scoring toss with 4 minutes 35 seconds left.

Duhon led a 51-yard drive, gaining 31-yards up the middle from the Saxon 49-yard line. Three plays later, Lappin passed five yards to Vince Vaccaro for a touchdown.